Honest Friendship

Proverbs 27:5-6

Better is open rebuke 

  than hidden love.
~~~

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

  but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Featured is one of my original illustrations.  Contact me for more information or quotes on logo designs, illustrations and other vector designs!

Porque Cristo Santo se glorifica dentro de mi ...

Picture found at amrigunawan.blogspot.com

Man, I found myself stuck in a really murky "wish pond" today!  Of course, not literally.  When I say "wish pond," I mean that I was being Debbie Downer times ten.  As I tracked down my daughter's dirty laundry from five different rooms in the house (she's potty training and loves the freedom of being able to take off her own clothes ...) I was sighing and thinking to myself, "I feel so ineffective ... I wish I could just do something."  Then memories from my young adult years entered when I traveled the world and lived adventurously, and I thought, "That's it!  I just need to take a humanitarian missions trip!"  So then, I asked God, "Lord, could this really be just the medicine I need?"  He promptly responded with, "Heck, no!"  And here's what God pursued to speak into my heart:

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

I don't think I'm alone in these moments where I feel this way (at least I hope I'm not).  I think everyone has moments when they feel like they're just waiting for something to happen.  We feel stuck in monotonous jobs that leave our passions and gifts seemly lying dormant within us.  We feel ineffective in our faith when we just can't seem to find our place, purpose and ministry.  We feel weathered and aged when we struggle through a sickness we just can't seem to shake.  We feel emptied when someone we love leaves us for no fault of our own.  But should we just drop it all and take three months of "me time"?  Heck, no!  

While every day is a battle, it is also a choice.  I'm reminded of a song I learned when I lived in Puerto Rico:

Alabad a Dios cuando las cosas salen bien, que bueno es

(Praise God when things go well, how good it is)

Alabad a Dios cuando en la vida no hay problemas, que cosa bueno

(Praise God when life has no problems, what a good thing)

Pero yo le alabo desde mi quebranto

(But I also praise Him from my calamity)

Porque Cristo Santo se glorifica dentro de mi 

(Because Christ is glorified in me)

Some days I just have to belt this song out!  I start out feeling like Debbie Downer, woe is me, but by the end I'm saying, "Thank you, Jesus, for this moment!!"  Thank you, Lord, for the reminder to keep doing good and that He is good regardless of what life brings me!  God is the answer to all of our needs and He loves to lavish blessings on us in the most miraculous ways.  

If you're lacking money to pay your bills, 

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." Malachi 3:10 

If you're struggling with sadness,

"When the righteous cry out, the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

If you're confused about a decision you have to make, 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5

If you're burdened with guilt over something you've done,

"If we confess our sins, [Jesus] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

If you're feeling lonely or unfulfilled,

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ." Philippians 4:19

If you're feeling overwhelmed as a parent,

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

My personal conclusion to all of this: I did something!  And it feels great to be effective in my own way!  As I swept up the countless cheerios from the corners of my family room and separated off the random small toys as I swept, I started praying for my friends.  Specifically, for friends from my past, who I never get a chance to see or talk to.  NO props to me, by any means!!  I hadn't thought of, let alone prayed for, these people in months, maybe even years!  What am I doing with my time?!  Oh, well - it's a new day and I've just been awaken from a sluggish sleep.  I'm just glad that I now feel thankful for where I am and what I'm doing!  Every day is truly a gift!

DIY Cold Remedies

Body aches from head to toe.  Can't get enough sleep.  Runny nose and raspy cough.  

I hate being sick!  

On days like this I'm so thankful for my momma!  I use her tips and tricks to nurse my colds (it doesn't hurt that she is coincidentally also a nurse), which means that honey, epsom salt, an herbal heat compress, and Theraflu are essentials for making me feel better.  Being a teenager of the 90's, staying home sick from school meant that I'd be watching tv and sipping on Theraflu.  Now I have a toddler to tend to which means I don't get to sleep as much or pamper my cold as much as I'd like!  So I grab a moment whenever I can.  For instance, while my daughter was at preschool, I pulled the humidifier into the bathroom and ran a hot bath with my homemade bath salts. 

Cold Remedy Bath Salt - in a plastic or glassbowl mix 1/4 cup Epsom salt, 2 tbsp pink sea salt and essiental oil mixture (I premix 1 tbsp sweet almond oil and 3 drops of peppermint essental oil).  I usually make up a bunch at once, package them in little glass bottles and give them as gifts.

To Theraflu Or Not To Theraflu? I looked at the ingredient list on a packet of Theraflu and here's what I found: 1) Acetaphetamine - the painkiller you find in Tylenol, 2) Dextromethorphan - a cough suppressant, 3) Chlopheniramine - antihistamine used to treat runny nose and sneezing, 4) Dyphenhydramine - treats runny nose, cough and sneezing but also causes drowsiness, 5) Pheniramine - antihistamine used to treat cold symptoms, 6) Guaifenesin - cough expectorant, and 7) Phenylephran - a decongestant.  If you feel uncomfortable taking any of these substances, a more natural alternative is ginger tea with lemon juice and honey.  But if you want something stronger, you really can't go wrong with the moonshiner's method: whiskey, lemon juice and honey.  The Kitchn blog has a good post and recipe, check it out.  

An Herbal Heat Pack Can Cure Anything  I get a migraine about every other week, especially between seasons when the weather jumps around.  I swear I wouldn't be able to survive migraines, colds or a nasty case of the flu without the herbal hot/cold pack my mom made for me!  She made it with rice and dried lavendar and chamomile buds.  I heat it in the microwave for a minute and forty seconds ... Perfection!  So comforting on an achy head, for sinus pressure and for cold chills.  Frugal Granola has a really good DIY tutorial, definitely check it out!

PS. While researching for this post, I found a flu map on Theraflu's website, which is great for tracking flu epidemics in your area! 

March Freebies: Chevron Background & Clover Buttons

Spiff up your website or blog with my March Freebie Graphics Package, a Monochrome Chevron Background and 4 Leaf Clover Social Media Buttons!  Click on the images you want and drag them to your desktop or right-click and save.  (If you're new to using customized social media buttons, check out my notes at the bottom of this post).  Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and Subscribe to my blog via email for more freebies and tips!

3 Steps for Blogger Custom Social Media Buttons:
1) Save the facebook, twitter, email, pinterest, linkedin, and rss images to your desktop, then upload the pictures to your Picasa or Photobucket account (this will give you the image links you need for Step 3).
2) Login to your Blogger dashboard, go to Layout, click "Add A Widget", then select the HTML widget.
3) Fill the HTML Widget pop-up screen with the following code:

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.MyFacebookLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
<a href="http://www.MyTwitterLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
<a href="http://www.MyEmailLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
<a href="http://www.MyPinterestLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
<a href="http://www.MyLinkedinLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
<a href="http://www.MyRssLink.com"><img src="YourImageLink"></a>
</div>

Now all you have to do is personalize the information within the links!

The Perfect Night Cap ... for a toddler

My toddler can't get to sleep at night without her evening dose of milk and a "show-show" (aka. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).  So when we ran out of 2% milk right before dinner, I knew I had to find a good alternative to suffice her milk addiction.  I scoured the cupboards and found a box of unopened powdered milk.  Now, we all know that powdered milk tastes like it was evaporated inside the udder, which is why I decided to mask the tasted with a frozen banana, dash of cinnamon and stevia.  It's not as thick and sugary as a banana milkshake, but a toddler will never know the difference!

Monkey Milk Night Cap

In a blender mix:

1 cup water

1/3 cup powdered milk

1 frozen banana (unfrozen would work fine too)

1 dash of ground cinnamon

4 drops of liquid stevia sweetener

French country brunch on a budget

Surprisingly, a French brunch is easier, healthier and cheaper to create than you might think ... and can quickly become a weekend favorite for your family.  About a year ago, a friend of mine introduced me to crêpes.  Versatile and simple, crêpes are a great alternative to the run of the mill pancakes or waffles.  Although my first few attempts at making a crêpe weren't very successful, I've finally found my niche and now enjoy how easy and affordable they are to make!  

Here are a few things you need to know about crêpes:

1)  They really only require four ingredients: flour, milk, eggs and butter

2)  They aren't just for breakfast ... savory crêpes are just as good as sweet ones!  Take some inspiration from the Atlanta-based crêpe specialty restaurant, Crêpe Revolution

3)  Although whole eggs are traditionally listed as an ingredient, you can also make them with just the fluffy whites (at least, to my taste!)

4)  Don't let pictures fool you - there is no perfect crêpe!  

5)  Chemistry is truly what achieves this French delicacy ... so your recipe is everything!

Have a country, French breakfast with your family or girlfriends this weekend!  And here are some ideas to set the table:

Abbey's Perfect Crêpe

makes 10-12 medium size crêpes

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% or whole milk

6 tbsp melted butter (or about 4 tbsp canola oil)

2 dashes of salt

2 tbsp sugar (optional)

8 eggs, whites beaten until foamy (tip: save the yokes and cook separately for added protein)

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar.  Stir in the milk and melted butter or oil.  In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks.  With a fork or small whisk, rapidly whisk the egg whites for about a minute ... you'll know they are ready when they begin to feel like a liquid (rather than separated and lumpy) and a thick foam will settle on the surface.  With a spatula, fold the foamy egg whites into the main bowl with the flour, milk, and butter mixture.  I gently fold it in, letting the foamy egg whites achieve a light, airy mixture.  Although there are really nice, expensive crêpe pans, I just use a rounded edge non-stick pan over medium-low heat.  Cook the crêpe almost as you would a pancake, and remember that crêpes are supposed to be nearly paper thin, light and a little stretchy.  Once cooked, glaze with yogurt, sprinkle with fresh cut fruit, roll, and serve! (For a really good visual tutorial, check out the Summer6676 video on Youtube)

Lemon & Honey Yogurt

Mix the following ingredients to make a zesty yogurt topping for your crêpes

2 - 7 oz containers of Fage 2% Greek Yogurt

Zest from two lemons

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp honey

Strawberry Iced Tea

2 Celestial Seasonings strawberry herbal tea bags 

2 cups boiling water

4 tbsp honey

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

4 cups ice

Bring water to a boil and add tea bags.  Use tea package instructions to achieve a strong brew of tea.  Add tea brew, honey and lemon to a half gallon pitcher and stir.  Add ice and then fill with cold water about an inch from the brim.  Serve over ice and with a sprig of mint for garnish.

Note to Reader: This recipe is one that I've created to my taste and preference.  For a more traditional crêpe, go to the Food Network website ... Alton Brown has a really good crepe recipe and a great tutorial on Youtube.